Evidence is being prepared by William Nkuna’s defence in his trial for the murder of missing police constable Frances Rasuge, after an application for his acquittal was refused on Friday. Judge Ronnie Hendricks ruled against the defence’s application to acquit Nkuna on the grounds that the state had no prima facie evidence linking him to Rasuge’s murder.
Developers announced plans on Friday to open a multimillion-pound sexual ”theme park” near London’s Piccadilly Circus, home to the much-photographed statue of the Greek god of love. Backers say the London Academy of Sex and Relationships, due to open next spring, will not be a sleazy sex museum.
Indonesian police came close on Friday to arresting one of Asia’s most-wanted terror suspects, a police source said, as the hunt for the Bali bombing masterminds intensified. The suicide bombers could prove hard to trace, police said, because they come from a new generation of attackers.
Hundreds of thousands of people lured back to southern Sudan have high hopes of peace after a 21-year civil war, but there are warnings of chronic food shortage, poor infrastructure and desolate homelands peppered with landmines. To date, at least 200 000 people have returned to south Sudan in the wake of a peace accord.
Water levels on Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-deepest lake, have dropped more than 1,5m, creating problems at Burundi’s main port and raising concerns among environmentalists. An environmental specialist said climate change and deforestation are contributing to the lower lake levels.
Zambia’s opposition on Friday decided against defying a police ban and called off a planned protest over severe fuel shortages that have disrupted transport and mining operations in the Southern African country. ”Police had planned to beat up innocent people at the demonstration,” said an opposition spokesperson.
Chief nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei said on Friday he feels ”humbled” after winning the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, and said it sends ”a very strong message” about the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role. However, criticism over the choice of ElBaradei and the IAEA flooded in from around the world.
A 71-year-old woman in Croatia attacked and seriously injured another elderly woman over an alleged affair with a 78-year-old man, the daily Vecernji List said on Friday. The jealous granny in the northern town of Cakovec reportedly used a wooden stick to attack her 75-year-old neighbour.
Pretoria advocate Cezanne Visser had admitted to committing sexually explicit deeds with her then lover Dirk Prinsloo in front of two girls in 2002, the Pretoria High Court heard on Friday. Children’s home manager Martie Booyse told the court Visser had admitted to allegations levelled by the two girls.
The Durban Magistrate’s Court will be closed between 9am and 11am on Tuesday next week until the corruption case against former deputy president Jacob Zuma is completed. Court manager Cyril Mncwabe insisted that Zuma is not getting ”preferential treatment” and that the magistrates have agreed to make up for the lost time.